Hospitals financial crisis, expert reaction

The influential Public Accounts Committee has stated that financial woes will force dozens of hospitals to merge, be broken up or even close, while many will never reach foundation status.

Eddie Jones, head of clinical negligence at law firm JMW, gives his expert reaction:

“It’s clear to see that our hospitals are in crisis, so that they are facing a dismal financial outlook comes as no surprise.

“However hospital closures should be a last resort as our current facilities are already buckling under pressure. Closing hospitals would reduce the availability of services for many people, meaning those that cannot afford to go private could find that their standard of care drops.

“This is a worrying position. As a clinical negligence solicitor, I have already seen hundreds of people who have suffered life-changing injuries, or even died, because the NHS hospital care they received was not good enough.

“We cannot afford to let these numbers escalate, and I fear that if hospitals are closed there is a very real danger that could happen. While the NHS financial situation is grave, patient safety must be the top priority.”

Note to EditorsJMW Solicitors LLP is a leading Manchester law firm and offers a broad range of legal services to both commercial and private clients.JMW’s Clinical Negligence team is headed up by leading clinical negligence lawyer, Eddie Jones. For more than a decade he and his team have advised and represented thousands of victims of clinical negligence, and their relatives, and have obtained over £70 million in compensation for their clients, as well as providing the answers as to why their medical treatment has gone wrong.https://www.jmw.co.uk/services-for-you/clinical-negligence